As the first week of December draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the Autumn term that has passed already – from the excitement of new beginnings in September to the wonderful learning, growth, and celebrations we’ve shared along the way. It has been a term full of curiosity, kindness, and hard work, and we are so proud of everything the children have accomplished so far, and look forward to those accomplishments still to come. 

As a staff team, I asked the staff to reflect on things that have been a highlight from across the school so far this academic year, Mrs Aliaj highlighted the experiences our children have had outside of the classroom, and I for one, agree, there have been many wonderful trips, visits and experiences and this week has been no different! 

Our Year 4 children took to the ice this week on a very wintery trip. The children travelled to the Queen’s House Ice Rink in Greenwich, where they glided, giggled, and even managed a few confident spins. They certainly didn’t freeze under pressure as they embraced the challenge, and it was lovely to see them enjoying every moment. Afterwards, they warmed up with a well-earned hot chocolate – the perfect end to a magical winter outing. Experiences like this create memories we know they’ll cherish for years to come.

Year 4 were not our only adventurers this week, with our youngest children, Nursery and Reception taking a local trip to the Slade Church. Sofia recalled that they “sang some songs, had biscuits and learned about the first Christmas. The shepherds came to see baby Jesus”. Jesus was Toni’s favourite part of the day and to top it all off, the children were able to dress up as the characters in the story about the first Christmas and were very engaged throughout. The team wanted to give a special thanks to Andy Laws for his hospitality and the thought that went into organising such an informative and engaging morning. Thank you Andy! 

So, as the excitement of the season continues to build across the school and the Nativity and carol concert rehearsals are well underway, this week we also held our annual Winter Discos! The children proudly returned to school on Tuesday evening in their finest party wear. From shirts to sequins and hair bows to handbags, we certainly saw some festive flair in every corner of the hall. The children danced, laughed, and sang their hearts out, creating a wonderfully joyful atmosphere. It was fantastic to see them enjoying themselves so wholeheartedly, and a huge thank you goes to you all for supporting such a well-loved festive event. Bringing children together and watching them dance like no one is watching always makes us smile. We hope they all slept well afterwards!

There is only so much we can share in a weekly newsletter, but we simply couldn’t miss the chance to shine a spotlight on the incredible rockstars who brought their energy, talent, and confidence to the stage yesterday morning. Our young musicians performed brilliantly, showcasing their growing skills and giving us a glimpse of the performers they are becoming. The atmosphere was electric as classmates, families, and friends cheered them on, celebrating their hard work and courage. It was a truly memorable moment for everyone involved.

A huge thank you to all the families who came along to support. If your child is feeling inspired and would like to get involved, please contact the school office for more information.

A final note to share that the school post box has now taken its rightful place in the hall. If your child would like to send any cards during this festive period—whether Christmas, seasonal, or winter-themed—please encourage them to pop them into the communal post box. Our team of Rockliffe Helpers will be delighted to sort and deliver the cards to classrooms periodically throughout the final week of term

And without further ado, wishing you a lovely, restful weekend.  We look forward to welcoming you back on Monday to begin the final two weeks of the Autumn term!

With very best wishes, Mrs Cook and the Rockliffe Manor team 

Let’s take a look at some of the learning this week …

Nursery, this week, have been enjoying the festive spirit as they have been busy practising their songs and dances for their very first Christmas performance. The children are so excited for this and came down to reception on Tuesday to perform their songs to the children and adults. In class the children have been looking at capacity and thinking about the words empty, half full and full. The children then had a go themselves filling their cups. 

Reception has had an action-packed week filled with festive cheer and fantastic performance preparation! On Tuesday, the children transformed the hall into a winter wonderland for their very own Winter Disco. Dressed in their best, the children impressed everyone with their enthusiastic dance moves and singing voices! On Wednesday the class were lucky enough to be invited to the Slade church, the children had the opportunity to take part in a story and song session learning about the first Christmas. They finished off the session with a fun filled arts and craft session that the children really enjoyed. The Children and Adults would like to say a special thank you to Andrew Laws for providing such a lovely opportunity for our children.

The class has also been busy preparing for the Nativity, taking their important role as the choir very seriously. They joined Years 1 and 2 for a combined practice this week, and we were incredibly proud of how they listened attentively and demonstrated excellent performing skills.

Year 1 has been on an exciting learning journey this week, researching facts about the Dominican Republic. The class was very excited to explore Google Earth, which allowed them to see the distance from the UK and virtually explore the country. It was fantastic to witness the enthusiasm and wonder as they discovered the culture, climate, food, animals, and stunning beaches of the island. Arthur H. was amazed to learn there are over 200 beaches on the island, and Paul was especially excited by all the sea animals that call the Dominican Republic home!

Year 2 has had a fantastic and productive week, focusing on creative writing and Nativity practice. In English, the children have been busy generating rich, descriptive devices to use in their setting description of Paddington Station. They worked collaboratively to generate imaginative similes, with Violet offering a lovely example: "the suitcases rolled like a train on the tracks." The class has also been dazzling Miss Roper with their Nativity practice so far, working incredibly hard to learn their lines and songs for the performance.

In Year 3 this week, the children have been focusing intensely on the four times table in Maths, using their knowledge to practice both multiplication and division by four. They also welcomed several visitors to their reading lessons as they explored the story of 'Yasuke'. The children were prompted to have an insightful discussion using critical thinking to debate whether Yasuke’s life was better or worse now that he works for Lord Oda, successfully supporting their answers with thoughtful reasoning.

Year 4 had an absolutely brilliant time on their trip, ice skating in Greenwich, where they showed great character by demonstrating resilience and positive relationships by helping and encouraging one another on the ice. Ishy started the day telling Miss Emslie how nervous he felt but ended it by skating up to her, exclaiming he had changed his mind and that it was the best day! In English, they have enjoyed using fronted adverbials to skillfully recount chapters from their core text, showing a great understanding of the characters and the plot within their descriptions.

Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed their history lesson this week, where they began exploring when and why the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain. Through historical enquiry, the children discussed why Britain was a desirable place for the settlers and investigated how the Angles and Saxons lived. They also learned that Britain was divided into several kingdoms, including Wessex, Mercia, Sussex, Kent, Essex, Northumbria, and East Anglia. The children were highly engaged throughout the lesson and are clearly hooked into this fascinating period of history.

Year 6 excelled in their Maths lessons this week, focusing on telling the time and calculating duration. They showed a strong understanding when solving problems about how long activities took, asking thoughtful and direct questions and remaining fully engaged throughout the session. In English, pupils explored the importance of an author using ‘show, not tell’ and successfully applied this new descriptive skill in their own writing. Their enthusiasm and focus were clearly evident across both subjects.